


Double Meanings

by CoreyWW



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Begging, Bitterness, Crying, Dark Comedy, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Orders, Pearl Solidarity (Steven Universe), Sad, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 05:22:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14687355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoreyWW/pseuds/CoreyWW
Summary: After Pink Diamond's "shattering," Blue Diamond orders her Pearl to tell her words of comfort. Blue Pearl must follow her orders ... despite the fact she suspects no shattering actually took place.How can she offer comfort in regards to a murder that may not have even happened?





	Double Meanings

“Pearl,” Blue Diamond said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Talk to me.”

It wasn’t a request, and Pearl knew that. Her lips moved of their own accord.

“Yes, My Diamond,” she said, as if she had a choice.

Blue Diamond settled in her chair on the palanquin, her hood hanging low over her face. With recent... _events_ , the cowl that often framed her refined features had lost its intimidating edge. Now, she looked only sad -- almost pathetic-- since the loss of Pink Diamond.

 _... or the apparent loss of Pink Diamond, rather,_ Pearl thought.

Blue Diamond sighed, tears trickling down her face.

"Pink... she is... _was_ so young, I can't...” Blue Diamond sniffled. “I should have done more. I could have done more.” The loss was so evident in her words, slow with the burden of grief, Pearl almost felt sorry for her. _Almost_. "I can't believe... no, please, Pearl - I need you to say something. Please, just, anything! I can't go on like this -- anything, comforting words, some sort of a distraction, just ... _please_."

With the last word, any semblance of composure clinging to her Diamond was shattered, and the leader's head fell into her hands, weeping.

Pearl was shocked. This was so unlike Blue Diamond. Their fearless, infallible leader… sobbing, _begging_ to her Pearl? Most of the time, Pearl thought bitterly, Blue Diamond was content to leave Pearl silent; it was not at all unusual for her and Yellow Diamond’s Pearl to be ordered to “remain silent” and have the order simply _forgotten_ to be relieved until days later.

Again, Blue Diamond’s desire wasn’t a request, so Pearls lips moved.

“Of course, My Diamond,” Pearl said.

Pearl felt a jolt of fear through her entire body, though she didn’t dare show it outwardly; how could she comfort Blue Diamond about a death that, in all likelihood, never even happened?

There was no way for Pearl to be certain, and to vocalize such a suspicion was a fool's errand ... but she had noticed things. The sort of things only a Pearl could notice.

It seemed to her rather _convenient_ that the so-called Terrifying Renegade who allied herself with Rose Quartz looked eerily similar to the same Pearl that served Pink Diamond, from her hair to the placement of her ovular gemstone. She knew no members of the upper-echelon would notice such subtleties between one Pearl to the next; they saw all Homeworld servants as vague, barely discernible accessories. It was expected that someone of Rose Quartz's caliber, to challenge Homeworld, would have a Pearl - but where did she come from?

And also the fact that never, not once, had Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz been seen in the same place. Neither had either Pearl.

And ever since Pink Diamond’s “death,” Pink Diamond’s Pearl had disappeared, and no one aside from other Pearls had noticed. Yet, Rose Quartz lived, as did the Terrifying Renegade Pearl.

Again, Pearl didn’t _know_. But she had strong suspicions.

And now Her Diamond was asking Pearl for comfort ...

“She ...” Pearl’s brow furrowed, searching for the right words. “She will be missed.”

Blue Diamond looked up from her hands.

“You miss her too?” Blue Diamond asked between sobs. “Tell me the truth.”

Pearl wavered, but only for a moment. Thankfully, her Diamond didn’t seem to notice.

It was an order.

Pearl couldn’t lie now, even if she wanted to.

 _It’s okay_ , she tried to reassure herself. _Just don’t lie. You can get through this as long as what you say isn’t_ exactly _a lie._

“I ... know that you miss her,” Pearl said. “And knowing you miss her fills me with--” She paused. “-- _emotions_.”

Pearl didn’t specify _which_ emotions.

Blue Diamond smiled through tears.

“That’s very sweet of you,” she said. “Please, go on.”

Pearl held her lips together for only a moment, frantically trying to think of something to say that was truthful, but not _too_ truthful.

“It’s ... respectable how much she loved her colony,” Pearl said. “I believe she’d have given anything for it.”

“ _Oh yes!_ ” Blue Diamond exclaimed, her voice cracking. “You know, even the times when she wanted to give up on this planet I ... I got the sense she didn’t truly want to. _She was so giving_!” Blue Diamond doubled over in tears.

Despite her stressful predicament, Pearl had to admit she almost had to stifle a laugh at how willing Blue Diamond was to accept all this.

“And I’m certain in ... some way, she’s looking down on her colony, smiling,” Pearl said, and this was something she firmly believed to be true.

“That’s a nice thought.”

Pearl _really_ had to keep from doubling over laughing at that.

Was it strange she was beginning to enjoy this? Not that she _enjoyed_ being physically unable to stop talking, but seeing Blue Diamond be so easily convinced ... it gave Pearl some sense of power, as if absolutely anything she said would register as exactly what Blue Diamond wanted to hear.

“And ...” Pearl’s cheeks hurt from forcing herself not to smile. “And I’m sure Pink Diamond would want you to _move on_.”

 _From conquering planets and oppressing Gems,_ Pearl thought, mentally finishing her sentence.

Blue Diamond nodded. “Yes ... yes, you’re right. She wouldn’t want me to feel sorry for myself.” Blue shook her head. “I wonder what Pink would say, were she to see me now?”

 _“I faked my own death because I hate you,”_ Pearl thought in Rose Quartz’s voice.

“... something wonderful, I’m sure,” Pearl said.

Blue Diamond sniffed. She clasped her hands together.

“Yes ...” She reached out her hand and touched Pearl’s cheek with her finger. “Thank you, Pearl. You’ve ... you’ve been a tremendous comfort.”

“Thank you, My Diamond.” Pearl curtsied.

“Now ... please leave me,” Blue Diamond said, wiping more tears from her cheek. “I have to ... consider what to do about these rebels now ...” A flash of anger entered her voice at those last words. She waved her hands. “You’re excused.”

“As you wish, My Diamond,” Pearl said.

Pearl turned and slowly walked out of the palanquin.

As soon as she left, she darted around the corner of the Arena behind a stone wall.

Once she was sure she was alone, she started laughing as hard as she could, until tears rolled down her cheeks.

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to [realfakedoors](https://archiveofourown.org/users/realfakedoors/pseuds/realfakedoors) for editing and [E350tb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/E350tb/pseuds/E350tb) and [citrusella](https://archiveofourown.org/users/citrusella/pseuds/citrusella) for beta reading.


End file.
